The invention relates to a process for the production of a concentrate or nutrient containing trace elements which is suitable for human beings and animals and which may be directly consumed as such. However, it is preferably used as a food supplement or feed supplement or as an additive for medicaments. It may assume the form of a finished product or semi-finished product.
Foods and feeds carry the so-called nutrients which are required by the human body and the animal body for growth and sustenance.
The infinitely large number of foods and feeds, of which diets are made up, only contain the same nutrients. These nutrients are the essential ingredients of any diet. Their presence in an optimal form and quantity provides for a health-sustaining diet of full nutritional value. A diet is of full nutritional value when it covers the energy and protein demand of the organism, i.e. contains sufficient calories and all the necessary nutrients in the correct quantity, in the correct ratio and in a form in which they can be fully utilised.
The nutrients may be divided up into three groups according to their respective functions:
(1) Energy sources are primarily fat and carbohydrates and, in the event of any fat or carbohydrate deficiency, also protein.
(2) Anabolic substances are required for building up new body substance, particularly during growth. The group of anabolic substances includes above all protein and most minerals.
(3) Supplements and regulators are nutrients which do not perform either of the functions mentioned under (1) and (2). However, they are essential to the maintenance of a proper metabolism. Vitamins, minerals and trace elements are included in this group.
A distinction is drawn between minerals, of which the daily demand is of the order of g, and trace elements of which the daily demand is of the order of mg or .mu.g.
Inorganic nutrients are required:
(1) as building elements, for example Ca, P, Fe; PA1 (2) for maintaining osmotic pressure, for example Na, K, Cl; PA1 (3) as constituents or activators of ferments, for example Fe, Mg, Mn, Cu, Mo; PA1 (4) as constituents of vitamins, for example Co; PA1 (5) as constituents or activators of hormones, for example I and Zn and; PA1 (6) for other metabolic functions, for example Cl (stomach acid), Ca (blood coagulation), P (carbohydrate metabolism and energy transfer), F (resistance of the teeth).
Some of the inorganic nutrients required by adults are listed in the following Table:
______________________________________ Daily inorganic nutrient demand ______________________________________ Calcium 1.0 g Copper 3-6 mg Phosphorus 1.0 g Zinc 10 mg Iron 12 mg Manganese 2-3 mg Sodium chloride 2-4 g Fluorine 1 mg Potassium 2.0 g Iodine 0.1-0.15 mg Magnesium 0.3 g ______________________________________
The trace elements which are regularly found in food and in the body may be divided into three groups according to their physiological importance; those whose importance to life has been established (essential trace elements); those which, despite their occasional physiological function (for example F), cannot be definitely regarded as important to life (accidental trace elements); and so-called accompanying elements. Co, Cu, Mn, Zn, I, Si and Mo have proved to be essential to life, whilst Al, As, Cr, Au, F, Ni, Ag, Ti and Sn have proved to be nonessential. B, Br, Sc, Sr and Rh are accompanying elements.
The classification of trace elements varies somewhat. Thus, according to studies conducted by the World Health Organisation, trace elements so far as human beings are concerned are elements which in particular perform catalytic functions in essential enzymatic processes, such as the elements Zn, Mg, Co, Cu, Cr, Sr and Mo. They occur in the human organism in quantities of a few grams (Mg approximately 20 to 25 g, Zn approximately 30 g to a few milligrams and Mo approximately 5 mg).
Any deficiency of trace elements in human beings and animals produces deficiency symptoms. In highly productive animals in particular, despite a diet based on trace elements designed to improve productivity, manifest disturbances occur to an increasing extent, as reflected for example in poorer production, avital responses, performance depression, etc.
Although supplementation using the known, hitherto used, chemically defined trace element salts of compounds of Zn, Fe, Cu, Co, Mn, I etc. with inorganic acids of the elements F, Cl, P etc., does produce specific and positive effects, the administration of salts such as these involves difficulties from the taste point of view whilst the particles of such salts give rise to difficulties in regard to absorption and indigestibility. In addition, it is virtually impossible to achieve balanced supplementation because the trace element/salt mixtures available only contain 6 to 8 trace elements at most.
Another disadvantage attending the use of known trace element/salt mixtures lies in the fact that, when trace element/salt mixtures of this type are added to foods, the trace element salts are capable of entering into reactions with other ingredients of the food. For example, non-ferrous metals, such as cobalt, react with fat. In addition, the metals reduce vitamin activity, etc.
DE-OS No. 29 06 375 describes an animal feed composition of at least one feed and cement-kiln fly ash. The feeds used may be any of the known feeds for animals, such as synthetic foods or natural foods. The cement-kiln fly ash is generally extracted from electrostatic separators in the chimney smoke flaps of cement factories.
Cement kiln fly ash contains hardly any trace elements, but mainly alkalis, calcium and silicon. In the known process therefore, the product obtained is only suitable for animals and is added to solid feeds.
DE-AS No. 20 34 692 describes a process for the production of concentrates of essential trace elements. In this known process, a trace element mixture is added to liquid dairy products in a quantity of from 1 to 8% by weight, based on the lactose-free dry mass of the dairy product used. The disadvantage of these known concentrates is that they only contain the usual 6 to at most 8 trace elements and do not guarantee the supply of all essential trace elements to human beings and animals. In addition, individual trace elements, for example copper sulfate, iron or zinc compounds, rather than mixtures of trace elements are generally used in this known process. The concentrate cannot be directly used as a feed, but instead it is added to feeds.